Creating Quiet Time

Goal

The aim of this tool is to help you incorporate quiet time into everyday life, in order to become more aware of and familiar with your internal experiences.

Introduction

In a world where we are surrounded by noise, it can be hard to connect to the inner stillness that mindfulness practice can cultivate. The noises around us cause us to focus our attention on them; to the world outside ourselves. Connecting to our internal world becomes easier if we create room for silence in our daily life. Silence helps our inner sound (our feelings, thoughts, and needs) to become louder. In this way, we can become better aware of how we are really doing and tune in more easily to what we need at this moment.

This tool invites you to spend some time alone in silence this coming week. For a period of time (you can choose anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour), allow yourself to do nothing, and simply be quiet. Shut down your computer, take off your headphones, and turn off your phone. Just hang out with yourself. You may go for a walk or just stay at home. (If you do leave the house, try to visit a relatively quiet place.)

At first, spending this time by yourself may feel uncomfortable and even awkward. This is natural and happens to many of us. Just notice what kind of feelings and thoughts arise as the result of being alone. Simply observe those feelings and allow yourself to be in silence.

As you engage in “quiet time” more often, you may notice that you become more familiar with and comfortable in silence. You may also begin to see how essential this time is for getting to know your internal world.

Step 1: Schedule quiet time

In the My Quiet Time template provided (below), spend some time now detailing when and for how long you will schedule in quiet time each day this week (first three columns). Leave the fourth column free for now, as you will fill this in immediately after you complete your quiet time.

Step 2: Post quiet time reflection

After you complete your quiet time each day, write about your experience in the fourth column. Reflect on what you noticed during the quiet time, what feelings and emotions showed up and what thoughts passed through your mind, and reflect on how you felt afterward.

Step 3: Evaluation

At the end of the week, consider the following:

  • How did you find the exercise?

  • How was it for you to be silent and simply hang out with yourself?

  • Was it easy or difficult to integrate quiet time into your life?

  • Is quiet time something you will continue to implement in your daily life? Why?

Melinda Hoyer